Possible Landing Spots for Mallett

[ivanvamp]

It seems like the conventional wisdom now, after Brady's new contract is completed, is that Mallett will be dealt. Let's work with that assumption and ask where are some possible places he could end up, and what could the Pats reasonably hope for in return?

We have been thinking Mallett for a pick. But with the new cap space available, what if BB went in the opposite direction:

Mallett + a 2014 3rd rounder to Minnesota for Harvin

Minnesota needs a good passing QB in the worst way. Harvin is leaving the team one way or another, so they might as well get something for him on the way out. Mallett is a much better thrower of the football than Ponder is, though none of us really know if he can be a better NFL quarterback. The 3rd round pick is a nice little bonus for the Vikings.

I don't see Minnesota doing this if they were going to retain Harvin, but since it appears there's less than a 1% chance of that happening, they might figure that acquiring Mallett is kind of like getting Matt Barkley even though they aren't remotely in the draft position to pick him.

For the Patriots, the deal makes sense on a bunch of levels, even if they aren't sure about signing him to an extension. Harvin is essentially Tavon Austin with NFL experience and a more muscular frame. Elite speed, good hands, can come out of the backfield, line up in the slot, or outside, and is a dynamic kick returner.

That's one idea. What are some other possible spots where Mallett could be dealt?

 

[Fencer]

A "more competition" scenario makes more sense than a "new starter" one.

Buffalo?

 

[Urgent]

Possible landing spots:

Kansas City - Cassel put up a QB rating of 66.66, just barely worse than Sanchez
Arizona - Kolb was not the answer, and Skelton threw 9 interceptions to 2 TD's
NY Jets - an effective, inexpensive QB could really help the team, and remember that Bledsoe was traded within the division as well
Jacksonville - Chad Henne & Blaine Gabbert are the latest in a parade of unsuccessful QB's there
Oakland - always willing to give up draft picks for the next QB
Philadelphia - re-establish the beloved tradition of trading with Philly?
Tennessee - Jake Locker put up 2000 yards and 10 TD's to 11 INT's

 

[ewg_gestalt]

It seems like the conventional wisdom now, after Brady's new contract is completed, is that Mallett will be dealt. Let's work with that assumption and ask where are some possible places he could end up, and what could the Pats reasonably hope for in return?

I don't think Mallett is going anywhere unless the Patriots bring in a viable backup for Brady. If you see them bringing in veteran QB's or drafting someone late in the draft, then we can start figuring out where Mallett will end up.

 

[UK_Pat37]

Brady's deal means jack when it comes to Mallett.

Simple fact is; if there is...and it's highly unlikely..a team willing to give a mid to early round draft pick for Mallett (an unproven prospect), then we still wouldn't get rid of him unless we were 100% certain that we had a backup who can fill in. You seem to forget he was the SOLE backup last season...we have no one who would be able to do that right now so until then, Mallett sticks.

It's also worth noting that this doesn't necessarily mean Brady will actually be here until he is 40. That's an ideal scenario for sure but we offered Bledsoe an enormous contract before he got hurt and that never stopped us replacing him as the starter. Brady could suffer a potential career threatening injury at any point and you must be prepared for that.

Mallett is going nowhere. The notion a team would give a 3rd or higher (and HARVIN too for that matter) is insanity. Even more so than the ludicrous notion Hoyer was worth a 2nd.

 

[Nunchucks]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

 

[ivanvamp]

I don't think Mallett is going anywhere unless the Patriots bring in a viable backup for Brady. If you see them bringing in veteran QB's or drafting someone late in the draft, then we can start figuring out where Mallett will end up.

Cassel and Hoyer (both former Brady backups) will be available. And they already have Kafka. They can find a veteran backup without any difficulty.

 

[ivanvamp]

Brady's deal means jack when it comes to Mallett.

You might be right. But you might be completely wrong. If they picked Mallett to be Brady's replacement because they weren't sure how long they were going to retain Brady, then this deal signals that Brady will be with the team longer than they might want to keep Mallett around in a backup role. And if they can get something useful for him....then yes, Brady's deal might mean a whole lot of jack when it comes to Mallett.

Simple fact is; if there is...and it's highly unlikely..a team willing to give a mid to late round draft pick for Mallett (an unproven prospect), then we still wouldn't get rid of him unless we were 100% certain that we had a backup who can fill in. You seem to forget he was the SOLE backup last season...we have no one who would be able to do that right now so until then, Mallett sticks.

It's also worth noting that this doesn't necessarily mean Brady will actually be here until he is 40. That's an ideal scenario for sure but we offered Bledsoe an enormous contract before he got hurt and that never stopped us replacing him as the starter. Brady could suffer a potential career threatening injury at any point and you must be prepared for that.

Mallett is going nowhere. The notion a team would give a 3rd or higher (and HARVIN too for that matter) is insanity. Even more so than the ludicrous notion Hoyer was worth a 2nd.

Who has suggested that the Vikings will give a 3rd round pick and Harvin for Mallett?

I suggested that the Patriots give Mallet and a 3rd round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Harvin.

Please read a little more closely before attacking a post.

 

[strngplyr]

Mallett is going nowhere. The notion a team would give a 3rd or higher (and HARVIN too for that matter) is insanity. Even more so than the ludicrous notion Hoyer was worth a 2nd.

OP said Mallet and a 3rd for Harvin, not Mallet for Harvin and a 3rd.

But OP's idea is pretty ridiculous too IMO, somehow after never playing a meaningful snap he's worth a about a 2nd round draft pick? At least guys like Kolb, Cassel, and Flynn played in a game and showed something. Mallet is a project/prospect. Teams weren't willing to spend picks on him 2 years ago before we did and they probably won't want to now when he'd probably want some kind of starting money if theyre trading for him to be their starter.

 

[ivanvamp]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

If Mallett was available in this year's draft, given his pedigree in college, don't you think a team would use a 3rd round pick on him? Especially given that it's a weak class for QBs?

Using a 3rd round pick to trade for him is no different than using a 3rd round pick to draft him.

 

[strngplyr]

If Mallett was available in this year's draft, given his pedigree in college, don't you think a team would use a 3rd round pick on him? Especially given that it's a weak class for QBs?

Using a 3rd round pick to trade for him is no different than using a 3rd round pick to draft him.

It's different when you're spending a 3rd round pick for a guy 2 years older, a contract 2 years shorter, and if you're trading for him its probably to be your starter and you'll probably have to pay him a bit more than a normal 3rd round draftee.

 

[IllegalContact]

Mallett is not going anywhere

 

[ivanvamp]

OP said Mallet and a 3rd for Harvin, not Mallet for Harvin and a 3rd.

But OP's idea is pretty ridiculous too IMO, somehow after never playing a meaningful snap he's worth a about a 2nd round draft pick? At least guys like Kolb, Cassel, and Flynn played in a game and showed something. Mallet is a project/prospect. Teams weren't willing to spend picks on him 2 years ago before we did and they probably won't want to now when he'd probably want some kind of starting money if theyre trading for him to be their starter.

Mallett is equivalent to a QB prospect with a really good college stat sheet in a major conference, that may have had some baggage a couple of years ago but that seems to be ancient history. He's a little older than most QB prospects, but that is offset by the fact that he's had 2 years to learn from Brady and Belichick.

I think it's fair to say that if he was in the current NFL draft, he'd be a 3rd round pick, especially given that it's a weak class.

So my suggestion was that the Pats give the Vikings - a QB-starved team - Mallett and a 2014 3rd round pick (not that the Vikings would surrender the pick...they receive it) in exchange for a guy (Harvin) that has less than a 1% chance of playing for Minnesota next year. The premise is that the Vikings will try to trade Harvin anyway, because he's not coming back to play for Minnesota next year. But because he has only one year left on his contract, teams will be leery of trading for him without an extension (and what an expensive extension it would likely be). Most teams don't have much cap space to swing a deal with the extension, and they wouldn't be likely to trade for him as a one-year rental. So the market for Harvin via trade is not very big, I would think.

The Patriots have the cap space to sign Harvin to an extension. They have a positional need.

They can offer Minnesota (a team that really needs a good QB) a 3rd round QB talent and a 3rd round draft pick in exchange for a guy that Minnesota desperately needs to trade away or risk losing with nothing in return, yet for whom a trade market is probably pretty thin.

It probably won't happen, but it's not because it's a ridiculous idea.

 

[ivanvamp]

It's different when you're spending a 3rd round pick for a guy 2 years older, a contract 2 years shorter, and if you're trading for him its probably to be your starter and you'll probably have to pay him a bit more than a normal 3rd round draftee.

Yes, those are definite factors. You also get a guy whose only issues coming out of college were character issues, and those appear to be ancient history at this point. He also has had 2 years of NFL seasoning under the best coach and QB in the league, so he's far more prepared to play than Matt Barkley, who some team will spend a 1st round pick on.

 

[Nunchucks]

If Mallett was available in this year's draft, given his pedigree in college, don't you think a team would use a 3rd round pick on him? Especially given that it's a weak class for QBs?

Using a 3rd round pick to trade for him is no different than using a 3rd round pick to draft him.

Why trade him for a 3rd round pick? At that price, he is worth more on the Patriots.

 

[IllegalContact]

Why trade him for a 3rd round pick? At that price, he is worth more on the Patriots.

this whole notion is practice squad-worthy

if he's worth anything, then he's worth it for the pats to keep him.......it doesn't matter that brady got extended....he's on the wrong side of 35. so if something bad happens and he can't make throws, you're going to hand it over to a couple of sucks like cassel and hoyer? whatever is gained by trading mallett would be meaningless.....at that point, I wouldn't even waste a roster spot on a backup.......just put edelman or mesko out there.....it won't matter as this team would take the same kind of dive the colts did when manning went down. at least with mallett, there is enough not known that gives him the chance to be better than cassel and hoyer plus whatever you got for mallett.....mallett at least presents the POSSIBILITY that the pats could still perform at a high level....with cassel or hoyer? can't even beat the jets

 

[Dagg]

I dont think Harvin gives us the height and deep threat we need. He's 5'11 runs a 4.4 more of a space player not a deep threat outside WR.

 

[Urgent]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

A quarter of the teams in the league do that every year when they draft a quarterback.

Mallet has proven very little. Gabbert, Henne, Skelton, et al have proven that they cannot win in the NFL.

The question on whether some of those QB's need to be replaced has been answered. Let's say three teams end up with Alex Smith, Geno Smith, and Matt Barkley. Then there are another four or five teams with empty musical chairs. The next question is whether they are better off with Mallet or Tyler Wilson, Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, or the other second-tier QB's in this draft or better off using that pick in exchange for someone who worked under Brady for a couple years.

At Arkansas, Mallet put up 3869, with 32 TD's and 12 INT's. He's been developed for two years with the Patriots. That has to be more attractive than most of the QB's in this draft.

 

[BrickPat]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

We went through the same thing with Hoyer. Many fans were confident the Pats could get a high pick for him in a trade simply because he performed ok in his limited game time and that he studied under BB/Brady. Teams weren't exactly tripping over each other a month later when the Pats cut him. IIRC Hoyer is the clipboard holder to the clipboard holder in Pitt(?)

Granted Mallet has a higher upside but most of that is simply because he is an unknown at the pro level.

 

[yopats]

I'm surprised that nobody had mentioned the possibility of Cleveland the team with the most glaring need. (Insert Lombardi Conspiracy)

The dark horse team could be Tampa Bay..Schiano and BB were inseparable at the combine this week. Schiano has gone on record stating his annoyance with Josh Freeman.